Federal Public Land at risk again!

[Idaboy]

I don't want to see a divestiture in public lands either, but using Idaho for an example they have sold less than 1k acres since 2008 while purchasing 54K acres. The vast majority of state land they have sold off happened over 100 years ago.

Have you seen the land auctions in valley co? Prior state leases with long term families on get bidded out..it's insane. It's not always about the amount of acres sold....

I still haven't seen a valid argument on this thread that transfer of land to state of Idaho is practical in any way shape, or forum....email fulcher, calls are also effective

 

[wowzers]

So is your point that public land within Idahos borders is better protected by the state rather than the fed?

The gist Im getting at is that States do not have the required funding or infrastructure to support the amount of management needed. Above that, I think that our close neighbor to southeast is a good representation of what advocates for state ownership intend. Look at whats happened to Utahs state lands gifted by the fed and tell me that you honestly think Idaho will have a different future.

I dont really understand how the state could manage these lands any better than the fed without developing them for monetization. I would rather not. That is the epitome of big government which is what republicans are supposed to be against. Keep it public, wild and free.
Not pavement, private and fenced.

No not necessarily, I just think jumping to the states will automatically sell it is a bit of a red herring. Yes they have in the past sold lands but most of that happened as a mentioned over a hundred years ago. Utah for example sold most of theirs in the first 35 years of Statehood.

 

[wowzers]

Have you seen the land auctions in valley co? Prior state leases with long term families on get bidded out..it's insane. It's not always about the amount of acres sold....

I still haven't seen a valid argument on this thread that transfer of land to state of Idaho is practical in any way shape, or forum....email fulcher, calls are also effective

Yeah and I'm all for it. It is a lease and they have expirations. Sell them and reinvest the proceeds into larger timberlands that will give more access for you and I and a better rate of return to the state.

 

[littlebigtine]

No not necessarily, I just think jumping to the states will automatically sell it is a bit of a red herring. Yes they have in the past sold lands but most of that happened as a mentioned over a hundred years ago. Utah for example sold most of theirs in the first 35 years of Statehood.

Fair enough, I cant argue that most state land sold has been recent. I can argue that the states are mandated to maximize profit from the lands they manage.

Under the Idaho Constitution, state endowment lands are required to be managed to generate maximum long term financial returns for their beneficiaries, which primarily include public schools and other state institutions. These lands are treated legally as trust assets, and the state has a fiduciary duty to manage them in a way that benefits those beneficiaries financially.

Practices like sustainable timber harvests, grazing leases, agricultural use, commercial leasing, and carefully evaluated land sales or exchanges are all consistent with this mandate. In fact, avoiding land degradation or poorly timed sales can be required to meet the long term return standard.

At the same time, Idaho is not required to prioritize recreation, conservation, or public access on state endowment lands unless those uses support or at least do not undermine the financial return. This is where the state is different from federal lands, which are managed under multiple use mandates that balance revenue with recreation, habitat protection, and watershed.

 

[Idaboy]

Yeah and I'm all for it. It is a lease and they have expirations. Sell them and reinvest the proceeds into larger timberlands that will give more access for you and I and a better rate of return to the state.

How are they "reinvesting" in timber lands?

 

[IdahoBeav]

How are they "reinvesting" in timber lands?

I hunted state timberland in N. Idaho just last month. It's much easier to hunt than NF up there, which is way too thick and overgrown.

 

[wowzers]

How are they "reinvesting" in timber lands?

Lands Recently Acquired by IDL

IDL's Asset Management Plan provides strategic direction to the Department for the management of endowment timberland, real estate, farmland, and rangeland.

www.idl.idaho.gov

 

[Customweld]

Lands Recently Acquired by IDL

IDL's Asset Management Plan provides strategic direction to the Department for the management of endowment timberland, real estate, farmland, and rangeland.

www.idl.idaho.gov

Off topic, but I was pretty bummed when the state turned down the offer to purchase the Plum Creek/Boise Cascade ground that the Wilks Bros bought.

 

[wowzers]

Off topic, but I was pretty bummed when the state turned down the offer to purchase the Plum Creek/Boise Cascade ground that the Wilks Bros bought.

I think a lot of people were. I'm not sure why they did that.

 

[packgoatguy]

I don't want to see a divestiture in public lands either, but using Idaho for an example they have sold less than 1k acres since 2008 while purchasing 54K acres. The vast majority of state land they have sold off happened over 100 years ago.

The state of Idaho doesn't have to "sell" the land for it to be taken out of public hands or damaged beyond repair... with private interests in lumber, mining, grazing, and now even air b & b type leases like in Island Park. Just because certain state owned land has been available for public use in the past while also being simultaneously utilized for its natural resources doesn't mean that will always be the case. State legislators are far more capable of making major changes on a whim than the feds.

 

[Brap01]

I dont understand how the state could manage these lands any better than the fed without developing them for monetization.

Maybe this will help five context:
When in worked as a forester for the state it took me about a day and half to do the environmental paperwork for a timber sale.

For the feds it takes 6 months to 2 years with a team of 10-20 people and their wages are half again what a state forester makes.

The feds are too bound up with paperwork, handbooks, agency rules and legal battles to manage forests properly.